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Become Familiar With The Early Signs And Symptoms Of Heart Disease

Heart is one of the most important organs in the body, still the job it does most often go overlooked. Our hearts pump oxygenated blood through our bodies, providing every single cell with the nutrients required to keep our entire system in order. When our heart is healthy, we tend to not think much about it. In spite of the significant role the heart plays in our overall health, most of us do not recognize the signs of heart problems when they develop.

Heart disease is the leading killer in the United States, which is a term that describes a group of different medical conditions that affect the structure and function of the heart. The heart, over a period of time, naturally loses some of its ability to keep up with the demand, and plaque can accumulate along the artery walls, a condition known as coronary artery disease (CAD). Adopting healthy lifestyle measures can help you from developing heart disease by helping to keep the risk factors that increase chances of developing heart disease in check. In addition to that, it’s equally important to learn the types of heart conditions that can develop and become familiar with their signs and symptoms.



Signs and symptoms of heart disease:

Some signs and symptoms of heart disease are often overlooked or ignored as standard discomforts or annoyances. Here we can cite heartburn as an example, which isn’t always a sign of heart disease, but it could indicate a serious heart problem when heartburn occurs in combination with neck pain, shortness of breath, and nausea. Here’s a list of common types of heart conditions and their symptoms:

Heart Attack- It occurs when a clot blocks blood flow to the heart. Some of the common symptoms are neck pain, shortness of breath, heartburn, nausea, upper body discomfort, and dizziness and lightheadedness. Dial 911 right away if you or someone close to you experiences any of these symptoms.

Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) - Weakening of the heart muscle, and the heart is not able to pump blood as well as it should. Signs include shortness of breath, fatigue, fluid accumulation in the lungs, and swelling in feet, legs, ankles, abdomen, and neck veins.

Heart Arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) - Improper beating of the ticker, whether irregular, too fast or too slow. Signs include loss of consciousness and heart palpitations.

Valve Problems- Valve problems arise when the valves are narrowed, stiffen, leaky, or otherwise faulty. Common signs are chest pain or palpitations, shortness of breath, swollen ankles, feet, or abdomen, and lightheadedness or loss of consciousness.

The individual signs and symptoms mentioned above won’t always indicate having heart disease, but if you experience extreme symptoms or combinations of symptoms, it is wise to talk to your doctor.

Risk factors are certain traits and habits that influence your risk for developing heart disease, such as high cholesterol levels, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, stress, etc. Fret not if you have any of these risk factors, as these are modifiable risk factors, which means that the effect of the factors are within your means to change to keep your heart healthy and reduce your chances of developing heart disease.

Quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet to keep your cholesterol levels in check, being physically active, and minimizing stress can be instrumental in reducing your risk of heart disease.

To sign up for AHA CPR classes, contact CPR Tampa in Palm Harbor on 727-240-9404.

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